Serve this colorful and delicious salad as a first course by itself, with other antipasti or with grilled foods. You can use this low-fat method of preparing eggplant in other dishes too. I top it with shavings of ricotta salata (ricotta that has been salted and dried in a small round cheese form for about 4 weeks.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim the ends of the eggplant and slice crosswise into 1-inch thick rounds; cut each round into halves or quarters, to have roughly equal pieces, no bigger than 2-inches on a side. Put the chunks on a baking sheet, lined with parchment or a silicone baking sheet, and sprinkle over a tablespoon of oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss to distribute the oil and spread the pieces apart so they'll brown quickly.

Put the tomatoes on another parchment-lined sheet, sprinkle over 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt, roll them around and spread them out. Put both sheets in the oven and roast until both the eggplant and the tomatoes are soft, shriveled and nicely caramelized on the edges, 30 minutes or more. Turn the eggplant chunks while roasting a couple of times, roll the tomatoes over, and shift the sheets around in the oven for even heating.

Let the vegetables cool on the sheets completely, then transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Toss gently with the remaining olive oil and salt, ground pepper, vinegar, and basil. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Arrange the salad on a serving platter or portion on salad plates and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.

Lidia's Family Table

This book contains more than 200 fabulous dishes that will appeal both to Lidia's loyal following, who have come to rely on her wonderfully detailed recipes, and to the more adventurous cook ready to experiment